Mechanical time fuse



B. B. PATTON MECHANICAL TIME FUSE Feb. 17, 1948.

Filed Jan. 23, 1939 11111111 E1 FuLturL Patented Feb. 17, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MECHANICAL TIME FUSE Benjamin B. Patton, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of War The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a mechanical time fuse.

In a mechanical time fuse of the type in which a rotatable timing disk is provided with a leaf for engagement with a setting pin it is customary to provide a spring hammer which is actuated on setback to move the leaf clear of the pin in order to allow the timing disk to be rotated by clockwork mechanism.

In fuses where the setback force developed on firing is very low the material used in the spring hammer is comparatively weak and as a consequence it is possible that it may be actuated by the jars and jolts to which the fuse is subjected during handling or transportation.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a simple and effective means for holding the spring hammer against movement in the normal arrangement of the parts and to so arrange the holding means with a rotatable element of the fuse that it will be moved clear of the hammer in the act of setting the fuse.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a portion of a mechanical time fuse showing the means for restraining the hammer.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference there is shown a portion of a fuse casing including a body 5 and a cap 6 arranged for relative rotational movement. A timing unit such as a clockwork mechanism represented at I is housed within the casing and associated with the body so as to be movable therewith. The clockwork-mechanism includes a conventional timing disk 8 which is arranged to be driven in rotation by the clockwork and is adapted to be displaced independently of the driving mechanism to position a slot 9 with respect to a releasing member In of a firing mechanism.

The timing disk is formed with a punched-out offset leaf ll having a slot l2 which receives a setting pin I3 fixed in the cap 6. This engagement which is conventional. provides for independently displacing the timing disk upon relative rotation of the body and cap.

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) The starting of the timing disk can occur only when the leaf is disengaged from the pin and this is accomplished by means of a spring hammer M. The hammer which is anchored to the cap by pins or screws i5l5 has its free end normally in engagement with the cap due to its inherent resiliency. The free end is customarily provided with a pair of weights |6l6 to facilitate its deflection under influence of the force of setback when a projectile equipped with the fuse is fired from'a gun. The hammer upon being thus actuated moves the leaf clear of the pin and thereby permits starting of the timing disk.

In order to prevent the hammer from being actuated accidentally during handling and transportation of the fuse its free end includes an extending lug I! which in thenormal position of the parts shown in the drawings is disposed in line with a stud l8 fixed to the casing of the clockwork mechanism. So long as this relationship exists the hammer will be restrained and cannot move the leaf out of engagement with the pin. When the fuse is set by rotating the cap 6 the lug I1 is moved clear of the stud l8 and the hammer is free to move the leaf clear of the pin on setback.

I claim.

In a fuse, a casing comprising relatively rotatable parts, a clockwork mechanism carried by one of the parts of the casing and including a rotatable timing disk with an offset leaf, a setting pin fixed in the other part of the casing and engageable with the leaf, a spring hammer carried by said other part of the casing and adapted to be moved on setback to disengage the leaf from the setting pin, and means fixed to the clockwork mechanism and interposable between the latter and the spring hammer for opposing movement of the hammer in one position of adjustment of the relatively rotatable parts of the casing.

BENJAMIN B. PA'ITON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,665,899 Varaud Apr. 10, 1928 1,693,516 Junghans Nov. 2'7, 1928 2,102,950 Girard Dec. 21, 1937 

